Intolerance of uncertainty is associated with heightened responding in the prefrontal cortex during cue-signalled uncertainty of threat
Intolerance of uncertainty is associated with heightened responding in the prefrontal cortex during cue-signalled uncertainty of threat
Heightened responding to uncertain threat is considered a hallmark of anxiety disorder pathology. We sought to determine whether individual differences in self-reported intolerance of uncertainty (IU), a key transdiagnostic dimension in anxiety-related pathology, underlies differential recruitment of neural circuitry during cue-signalled uncertainty of threat (n = 42). In an instructed threat of shock task, cues signalled uncertain threat of shock (50%) or certain safety from shock. Ratings of arousal and valence, skin conductance response (SCR), and functional magnetic resonance imaging were acquired. Overall, participants displayed greater ratings of arousal and negative valence, SCR, and amygdala activation to uncertain threat versus safe cues. IU was not associated with greater arousal ratings, SCR, or amygdala activation to uncertain threat versus safe cues. However, we found that high IU was associated with greater ratings of negative valence and greater activity in the medial prefrontal cortex and dorsomedial rostral prefrontal cortex to uncertain threat versus safe cues. These findings suggest that during cue-signalled uncertainty of threat, individuals high in IU rate uncertain threat as aversive and engage prefrontal cortical regions known to be involved in safety-signalling and conscious threat appraisal. Taken together, these findings highlight the potential of IU in modulating safety-signalling and conscious appraisal mechanisms in situations with cue-signalled uncertainty of threat, which may be relevant to models of anxiety-related pathology.
Instructed threat of shock, Intolerance of uncertainty, Medial prefrontal cortex, Rostral dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, fMRI
88-98
Morriss, Jayne
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Bell, Tiffany
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Biagi, Nicolò
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Johnstone, Tom
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van Reekum, Carien M.
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February 2022
Morriss, Jayne
a6005806-07cf-4283-8766-900003a7306f
Bell, Tiffany
893b1f1c-0001-4f73-b4b6-9733269b1781
Biagi, Nicolò
62aeed32-3042-4176-a13f-937d70fcb0b7
Johnstone, Tom
975c1b87-89fd-46a0-9baf-e7f623691a77
van Reekum, Carien M.
56010ab6-5a14-4c5a-b463-eb2159b3684c
Morriss, Jayne, Bell, Tiffany, Biagi, Nicolò, Johnstone, Tom and van Reekum, Carien M.
(2022)
Intolerance of uncertainty is associated with heightened responding in the prefrontal cortex during cue-signalled uncertainty of threat.
Cognitive, Affective & Behavioral Neuroscience, 22 (1), .
(doi:10.3758/s13415-021-00932-7).
Abstract
Heightened responding to uncertain threat is considered a hallmark of anxiety disorder pathology. We sought to determine whether individual differences in self-reported intolerance of uncertainty (IU), a key transdiagnostic dimension in anxiety-related pathology, underlies differential recruitment of neural circuitry during cue-signalled uncertainty of threat (n = 42). In an instructed threat of shock task, cues signalled uncertain threat of shock (50%) or certain safety from shock. Ratings of arousal and valence, skin conductance response (SCR), and functional magnetic resonance imaging were acquired. Overall, participants displayed greater ratings of arousal and negative valence, SCR, and amygdala activation to uncertain threat versus safe cues. IU was not associated with greater arousal ratings, SCR, or amygdala activation to uncertain threat versus safe cues. However, we found that high IU was associated with greater ratings of negative valence and greater activity in the medial prefrontal cortex and dorsomedial rostral prefrontal cortex to uncertain threat versus safe cues. These findings suggest that during cue-signalled uncertainty of threat, individuals high in IU rate uncertain threat as aversive and engage prefrontal cortical regions known to be involved in safety-signalling and conscious threat appraisal. Taken together, these findings highlight the potential of IU in modulating safety-signalling and conscious appraisal mechanisms in situations with cue-signalled uncertainty of threat, which may be relevant to models of anxiety-related pathology.
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s13415-021-00932-7
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Accepted/In Press date: 9 July 2021
e-pub ahead of print date: 26 July 2021
Published date: February 2022
Additional Information:
© 2021. The Author(s).
Keywords:
Instructed threat of shock, Intolerance of uncertainty, Medial prefrontal cortex, Rostral dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, fMRI
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Local EPrints ID: 472420
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/472420
ISSN: 1530-7026
PURE UUID: 1578547e-1e69-41b4-b447-b0b54d2553a0
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Date deposited: 05 Dec 2022 17:41
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 04:14
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Author:
Jayne Morriss
Author:
Tiffany Bell
Author:
Nicolò Biagi
Author:
Tom Johnstone
Author:
Carien M. van Reekum
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